Minnehaha County adopts Envision comprehensive plan and moves to implement zoning changes

Minnehaha County commissioners on Feb. 18 completed a second reading and voted to adopt the county's revised comprehensive plan, a year-and-a-half effort led by Planning Director Scott Anderson that staff and the planning commission said will guide land-use policy and future zoning changes.

The plan, which county staff called a blueprint for handling growth, was the subject of a multi-stage public process that included a density task force, multiple planning commission reviews, three community open houses in Dell Rapids, Brandon and Hartford, and an online comment period. "It serves as a blueprint for the county on how we will handle growth and development," Planning Director Scott Anderson said during the hearing.

County leaders and planning staff said the adoption itself does not change zoning rules; it sets policy direction that will be implemented by later amendments to the county zoning ordinance. "The actual meats and bones are ... how we implement those changes are through the zoning ordinance," Anderson said, noting staff have already prepared draft ordinance amendments on transfer of building eligibilities and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and will brief the joint Sioux Falls/Minnehaha County Planning Commission next week.

The planning director summarized public engagement and technical findings at a follow-up annual presentation to commissioners. He said building activity dipped in 2024: the county issued permits for 43 new single-family residences in 2024 compared with 69 in 2023. At the same time, Anderson said, an increase in new plats suggests residential development could pick up again. "It's not that we did not stop building or having activity, just fewer homes were being built," he said.

Anderson flagged another near-term technical matter: updated preliminary FEMA floodplain maps are expected to change floodplain boundaries in the county and could affect development. "There are gonna be major changes," he said, adding that the county is working with affected departments and municipalities to understand timelines and implications. He noted the City of Sioux Falls already is using preliminary maps in some portions of its jurisdiction.

Commissioners who spoke during the hearing praised staff and volunteers for their work on the plan and emphasized the plan's role in guiding future discretionary decisions such as conditional-use permits. "Having a guiding document like this helps us out a lot," Commissioner Heisey said before moving to approve the plan. The motion passed on roll call; commissioners voting "aye" included Kipley, Weinberg, Heisey, Bennegga and Karski.

Next steps described by staff include Planning Commission briefings on proposed ordinance amendments, publication of hearing dates for ordinance changes, and subsequent county commission and city council action on any zoning text or map revisions drawn from the adopted plan. Anderson also told commissioners the office is continuing a multi-year migration of historical permit records to a new parcel manager system and is preparing to propose adoption of the 2024 building code and new aerial mapping as part of upcoming budget work.

Commissioners and staff stressed that adoption of the comprehensive plan does not itself rezone land or change individual property rights. Implementation of policy recommendations will proceed through the established zoning amendment and public hearing processes.

— Reporting by a county reporter; document and presentation materials provided to the commission are available from the planning office and on the county website.